OVERVIEW:
The Navajo County Community College District Governing Board is seeking an innovative, experienced, transparent, and empathetic leader who displays a deep understanding of Northeast Arizona's unique cultural heritage and community dynamics and who is committed to building a long-term career and life in the region. The ideal candidate will align with our cultural values, actively contribute to the local communities, and foster lasting relationships to support our mission and vision by supporting all students and especially advocating for the College’s rural and underrepresented populations. The successful candidate is expected to reside in Winslow, Holbrook, Joseph City, Snowflake/Taylor, or adjacent tribal lands.President
College Overview:
Northland Pioneer College (NPC) is driven by the mission to provide educational excellence that is affordable and accessible for the enrichment of communities across northeastern Arizona and beyond. NPC currently serves over 5,000 students annually throughout Navajo and Apache Counties on its four campuses and five remote centers. The 21,000-square-mile service area includes the tribal homelands of the Navajo, Hopi, and White Mountain Apache peoples and is governed by a five-member elected District Governing Board.
NPC is a decentralized, tribal-serving, public, rural community college offering non-credit programs, certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees in the heart of the Southwest, where the Colorado Plateau meets the White Mountains of northeastern Arizona. The culturally and geographically diverse region offers wide-open picturesque spaces and is working hard to grow a healthy economy for future generations. The college utilizes high-quality technological facilities to connect virtually across its locations and 18 remote high schools.
The area’s ethnic and cultural diversity is reflected in our enrollment. Ethnically, 41 percent of students identify as White, 28 percent as Indigenous, 16 percent as Hispanic, with 13 percent not providing ethnicity data. By gender, 64 percent identify as males, 36 percent as female. Part-time students make up 82 percent of our enrollment, with just 18 percent attending full time. By age groups, 46 percent are under 18 (reflecting our strong and growing Early College enrollment), and 14 percent in the 18-19 traditional college age group. Those 20-30 make up 20 percent, and over 30 accounting for 21 percent. 1
Northland Pioneer College is seeking an innovative, experienced, transparent, and empathetic leader who displays a deep understanding of Northeast Arizona's unique cultural heritage and community dynamics, who is committed to building a long-term career and life in the region. The ideal candidate will align with our cultural values, actively contribute to the local communities, and foster lasting relationships to support our mission and vision by supporting all students and especially advocate for the College’s rural and underrepresented populations. The successful candidate is expected to reside in Winslow, Holbrook, Joseph City, Snowflake/Taylor or adjacent tribal lands.
Challenges and Opportunities:
- Recognize and appreciate that NPC serves two of the poorest counties in Arizona and the nation. Many of our students are first-generation college students, live below the federal poverty level, and travel long distances to access higher educational opportunities.
- Provide student-focused leadership across all areas of the college and work collaboratively to develop a college-wide vision which is in the best interest of students and employees and the communities served.
- Grow enrollment; improve retention and completion; develop a completion and/or transfer plan for the large early college high school students, intentionally expand bachelor-degree offerings, and provide academic and workforce offerings to best serve all students throughout the service area.
- Collaborate with all stakeholders, including Native American populations, to address higher educational inequalities and barriers to success to ensure greater access to higher education opportunities.
- Identify and develop alternative revenue sources including grant opportunities, micro-economic efforts, and legislative support.
- Evolve the College’s technological capabilities to provide stronger distance learning offerings.
- Cultivate robust relationships with the region’s K-12 school districts, charter schools, tribal schools, communities, economic development entities, social service agencies, Head Start, and tribal leadership while recognizing the different cultural contexts across the service area.
- Lead with transparency and empathy, attract and retain high-quality diverse employees, and support the College’s diverse student population.
- Build workforce and retraining programs to aid in regional economic and demographic transitions.
- Impress upon the state legislature the financial needs and challenges of rural community colleges struggling to provide workforce training required by area business, industry and employment partners.
Ideal Characteristics:
- The successful candidate will support the comprehensive community college and values the college’s academic programs, including early college high school, workforce, transfer, and bachelor’s degree opportunities, as well as Adult Basic Education, high school equivalency, developmental education and literacy programs.
- The ideal candidate will actively promote enhanced student engagement and inclusivity, demonstrating a commitment to supporting and advocating for diverse identities, including LGBTQIA+ individuals and students with disabilities. They should foster an environment of respect and understanding, ensuring that all students feel valued and supported in their educational journey.
- Demonstrates a track record of fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive working and learning environments.
- Exhibits a passion for student success, shows compassion, empathy,and assists students to overcome obstacles.
- Is an ethical, decisive, passionate, and honest leader, who wants to be at NPC with all its unique characteristics and opportunities.
- Demonstrates a strong track record of providing visionary leadership through data-informed decision making, and has a demonstrated ability to take prudent risks, learn from failures, and adjust accordingly.
- Has experience cultivating and enhancing diverse and creative educational and training partnerships among external stakeholders including, but not limited to, tribal and local governments, K-12 school districts, charter schools, tribal schools, homeschoolers (including Early College opportunities), other higher education institutions, and business communities to meet the changing needs of the region’s business, industry, and employment partners.
- Has a demonstrated ability to successfully manage large and complex budgets under the constraints of an expenditure-limit formula budgeting process and to identify alternative sources of revenue.
- Demonstrates commitment to collaborating with students, faculty, staff, and administration and prioritizing shared governance.
- Understands the important role of technology in serving rural communities, and has supported the use of technology to expand student access to educational opportunities.
- Exhibits the ability to work effectively with the state legislature.
- Has experience providing oversight for regional/institutional and programmatic accreditation.
- Collaborates effectively with an elected governing board, assisting in the development of long-term strategic planning, direction, and vision.
- Contributes to institutional culture, with a focus on aligning NPC’s strategic plan to our mission, vision, and values.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Master’s degree from an accredited institution required with an earned doctorate strongly preferred.
- Extensive higher education administrative experience in positions of increasing responsibility.
- Demonstrated classroom teaching experience at an accredited institution of higher education or a minimum of 3 years’ experience in vocational trades or certifications.
